Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-04-15
a ROMANCE OF THE SEA.

". - = - AZ i 5s
], q ROMANCE OF THE SEA. !,
u Old Sailor fslls tAa Pathetic story q Ill ysrsl
a and Only Low.
I A Darlen. Ca. correspondent Of the
! Az lanta Constitution writes: Three
;o,ln countsnanced men sat up in the
Fiirs,n< MS hall the other evening envel-
oped ii, \ n intense cloud of fragrant
smoke. 7, heir appearance indicated.
that they va % sea captains. "Here is
TO auld lang g. me" said one, land
may the deyI Ia ke low freights and
!averse Winds" 4. he toast was drank
enthusiastically. ~ speaking OF auld
lang syne," rejoined an 'ther, reminds
me Of an adventure in N Y life thattor
romance and sadness il hsh ID to beat"
The weather-beaten counts. nance as
sumed a sad expression, and "a Slight
tremor became noticeable in thsA peak
prs voice. "1wasyoungthen," he> con-
tinued, regular happy po-lucky dA'e
devil, twenty-four years Of age and III
command OF as pretty and fast d
! craft as ever skinned the Atlantic.
.Socskummeren (the sea skimmer), of
Ayendal, Norway. Well, as fate
would have it, an old Norwegian cap
tain invited me aboard of HIS vessel.
while lying in Oporto. 1t was here
met the fairy for the preservation OF
whose life afterward recklessly sisked
mine. 1t is only due to her, Though,
TO say that If ever human frame were
endowed with heavenly qualities this
young daughter Of a typical old sea-
dog could boast of them. I not oclv
fela desperately in love with this falr
maiden, out became perfectly oblivious
to everything else. When with her I
imagined the very atmosphere was
1mPregnated with a hallowed sweet
'ness-when away from her the world
seemed dark and dreary. For two
weeks the Sockummeren had been
ready for sea, but despitedetermined ef-
1orts to- overcome my intatuation +
could not leave the place where
she still fingered. She held me bound
III letters, which, though invisible,
were stronger than the stoutest of
iron. Day after day my conscience
occasionally upbraided my weakness.
but only a. moment after Rugged the
CHAIN that kept me a. prisoner. At
last the old craft containing my treas
ure left the harbor. Socskummeren
soon followed suit, and with the i'm.
patience OF q prancing steed she SEEM
ed anxious to pass the vessel I loved
so well to follow. I gave orders to
shorten sail, and for days managed
the 'Socskummeren's speed so as to
remain beside her. We had arranged
code OF signals, and long after the
sun had sunk in the west or before
1t had commenced to purple
the eastern sky I stood on the
Socskummeren's deck gazing at
her. At last during a squally
night, we lost sight OF her. I secured
the ocean in all directions but fruit,
lessly. Three solid weeks had passed
and not glimpse obtained Of the 9TH
er vessel. One day when off the Bahia
mas We got into one OF the most vio-
lent northers had ever experienced.
With all her stanchness and seaworthy
qualities even the Socskummeren Jared
badly. A storm Of ten hours dura-
ton had stirred the waters up terri
bly,. The atmosphere was hazy, and
1T was Impossible to see anything 500
yards distance. Judge, then, of my
surprise when suddenly green-paint-
ed hulk, mastless and unnavigable,
appeared on the scene. With one
hand held the spy-gass and with the
other grasped the rigging. On dis
covering the situation all fears for tho
safety OF myself crew and vessel van
1shed. On the quarter deck, clinging to
the railing, lsaw the one who was dear
err to me than anything on earth, and 8
few feet distant, as it seemed, in SUI
preme desperation, stood her aged sill
ver-whiskered father. l Immediately
gave orders to launch he]argest boat,
and four aye-hearted young sailors
generously volunteered to accompany
Inc on my dangerous mission. A few
minutes after and we could only see
the SocsEummeren when simultane-
ously on the crest of some gigantic
waves. BY dint OF q superhuman
determination to save her life sue
ceeded in getting her from the wreck into
my boat. How, but indistinctly re-
member. I recollect, however, that
when huge wave dashed our frail boat
against the Socskummeren I managed,
with her on one arm, to grasp the rig
glng and remain on board while the
poor sailors found watery grave,
When she was safe ON the
Socskummeren her first query was:
t'Where is my father?" While gazing
around vacantly her eyes caught the
green-painted storm tossed wreck and
her aged father still clinging to it. A
scream as loud as storm bird came
from her; she freed herself from my
grasp and plunged overheard. In a
moment Ihad a line around my waist
and plunged after her. was hauled
aboard again, bruised, battered, and
5nsensible. The ocean holds my first
and only love-"
She Wanted q Cross eyed Doll.